Device for Measuring Pressure of Battery Cell

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0198753, filed on Dec. 27, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the present disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a device for measuring pressure of a battery cell.

Secondary batteries are batteries that are designed to be charged and discharged, different from primary batteries, which are not designed to be recharged. Low-capacity secondary batteries are used in small, portable electronic devices, such as smartphones, feature phones, laptops, digital cameras, and camcorders, while high-capacity secondary batteries are widely used as power sources for driving motors in hybrid cars, electric cars, or the like, and as power storage batteries. A secondary battery generally includes an electrode assembly having a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a case accommodating the electrode assembly, electrode terminals connected to the electrode assembly, and/or the like.

The information disclosed in this Background section of the present disclosure is intended to improve understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore, it may include information that does not constitute related (or prior) art.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a device for measuring pressure of a battery cell for manufacturing a battery module and a pack having improved stability and volume efficiency.

However, aspects and features of the present disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other aspects and features not mentioned may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the present disclosure described below.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a device for measuring pressure of a battery cell includes: a lower substrate configured to accommodate a battery cell thereon; an upper substrate spaced apart from the lower substrate; a connection shaft vertically coupling the lower substrate and the upper substrate; and a first load cell configured to measure force applied to the upper substrate.

The battery cell may have a vent portion on an upper surface thereof.

The first load cell may be vertically aligned with the vent portion.

The connection shaft may be adjustable in length.

The first load cell may be on an upper surface of the upper substrate.

The device may further include a second load cell configured to measure force applied to the lower substrate.

The second load cell may be on an upper surface of the lower substrate.

The device may further include a controller configured to calculate a height of the upper substrate by using the force measured by the first load cell and the force measured by the second load cell.

The controller may be configured to calculate a height of the upper substrate by using the Navier-Stokes Equation.

The controller may be configured to adjust a length of the connection shaft based on the calculated height of the upper substrate.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a device for measuring pressure of a battery cell includes: a jig configured to mount a battery cell thereon and a controller configured to control an operation of the jig. The jig includes: a lower substrate; a second load cell on the lower substrate and configured to measure a weight of the battery cell; an upper substrate above the lower substrate; a first load cell on the upper substrate; and a connection shaft connecting the lower substrate to the upper substrate. The controller is configured to calculate a height of the upper substrate from a force measured by the first load cell and a force measured by the second load cell.

The battery cell may have a vent portion on an upper surface thereof.

The first load cell may be vertically aligned with the vent portion.

The first load cell may be on an upper surface of the upper substrate.

The second load cell may be on an upper surface of the lower substrate.

The connection shaft may be adjustable in length.

The controller may be configured to adjust a length of the connection shaft based on a calculated height of the upper substrate.

The controller may be configured to calculate a height of the upper substrate by using the Navier-Stokes Equation.

A separation distance between the battery cell and the upper substrate may be in a range of 5 mm to 20 mm.

The upper substrate may be configured to be replaceable.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described, in detail, with reference to the attached drawings. Terms or words used in the specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their usual or dictionary meanings but should be interpreted as having meanings and concepts that conform to the technical idea of the present disclosure based on the principle that the inventor may appropriately define the concept of a term to explain his or her own disclosure in the best way. The embodiments described in the specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are some of embodiments of the present disclosure and do not represent all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that there may be various equivalents and modified examples that may replace them at the time of filing the application.

In some embodiments, when used herein, the words “comprise”, “include” and/or “comprising”, “including” specify the presence of stated features, numbers, steps, operations, members, elements, and/or groups thereof but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, operations, members, elements, and/or groups thereof.

In some embodiments, to aid understanding of the present disclosure, the attached drawings may not be drawn to an actual scale and the dimensions of some components may be exaggerated. In some embodiments, which are different from each other, the same reference numbers may be assigned to the same components.

Although the terms first, second, or the like are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another, and unless otherwise stated, it is of course the case that a first component may also be a second component.

Throughout the specification, unless otherwise specifically stated, each component may be singular or plural.

Any configuration being arranged “at the top (or bottom) of” a component or “on (or below)” a component may mean not only that any configuration is arranged in contact with the upper surface (or lower surface) of the component, but also that other configurations may be interposed between the component and any configuration arranged on (or under) the component.

In some embodiments, in case that it is described that a component is “connected,” “coupled,” or “linked” to another component, it should be understood that the components may be directly connected or linked to each other but that other components may also be “interposed” between each component or that each component may be “connected,” “coupled,” or “linked” through other components. In some embodiments, when it is described that a part is electrically coupled to another part, this may include not only cases where they are directly connected but also cases where they are connected to each other with another element interposed therebetween.

As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Further, the use of “may” when describing embodiments of the present disclosure relates to “one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.” Expressions, such as “at least one of” and “any one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list. For example, the expression “at least one of a, b, or c” indicates only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, all of a, b, and c, or variations thereof. As used herein, the terms “use,” “using,” and “used” may be considered synonymous with the terms “utilize,” “utilizing,” and “utilized,” respectively. As used herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and similar terms are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent variations in measured or calculated values that would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art.

A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, in view of the present disclosure in its entirety, that each suitable feature of the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined or combined with each other, partially or entirely, and may be technically interlocked and operated in various suitable ways, and each embodiment may be implemented independently of each other or in conjunction with each other in any suitable manner unless otherwise stated or implied.

Also, any numerical range disclosed and/or recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges of the same numerical precision subsumed within the recited range. For example, a range of “1.0 to 10.0” is intended to include all subranges between (and including) the recited minimum value of 1.0 and the recited maximum value of 10.0, that is, having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1.0 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10.0, such as, for example, 2.4 to 7.6. Any maximum numerical limitation recited herein is intended to include all lower numerical limitations subsumed therein, and any minimum numerical limitation recited in this specification is intended to include all higher numerical limitations subsumed therein. Accordingly, Applicant reserves the right to amend this specification, including the claims, to expressly recite any sub-range subsumed within the ranges expressly recited herein. All such ranges are intended to be inherently described in this specification such that amending to expressly recite any such subranges would comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. § 112 (a) and 35 U.S.C. § 132 (a).

1 FIG. 2 FIG. 1 FIG. 3 FIG. 2 FIG. is a schematic diagram of a device for measuring pressure of a battery cell according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,is a perspective view of the battery cell shown in, andis a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III′ in.

1 3 FIGS.to 1 300 10 200 300 100 300 200 Referring to, a devicefor measuring pressure of a battery cell, according to an embodiment, may include a lower substrateon which a battery cellis arranged, an upper substratespaced apart from the lower substrate, and connection shaftsconnecting the lower substrateto the upper substrate.

10 300 210 213 211 212 15 210 The battery cellarranged on the lower substratemay include one or more electrode assembliesin which a separator, which is an insulator, is interposed between a positive electrodeand a negative electrode, all of which are then wound together, and a caseaccommodating the electrode assembly.

10 The battery cell, according to an embodiment, may be a square (e.g., prismatic) lithium-ion battery cell as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various types of battery cells, such as lithium polymer battery cells, cylindrical battery cells, etc.

211 212 211 212 a a The positive electrodeand the negative electrodemay each have a coated portion, which is an area at where an active material is applied to a current collector formed of a metal foil as a thin plate, and non-coated portionsand, which are areas at where the active materials are not coated (e.g., are not present).

211 212 213 210 211 212 213 The positive electrodeand the negative electrodemay be wound with the separator, which is an insulator, interposed therebetween. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the electrode assemblymay have a structure in which the positive electrodeand the negative electrode, each including a plurality of sheets, are alternately laminated with the separatorinterposed between adjacent sheets.

15 10 15 210 The casemay form the overall appearance of the battery celland may include (or may be formed of) a conductive metal, such as aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or nickel-plated steel. In some embodiments, the casemay form (or may provide) a space in which the electrode assemblyis accommodated.

10 17 15 15 17 11 12 211 212 17 The battery cellmay include a cap platecovering (e.g., sealing) an opening in the case, and the caseand the cap platemay each include (or be formed of) a conductive material. Further, a first terminaland a second terminal, respectively electrically connected to the positive electrodeor the negative electrode, may be installed to protrude outwardly by penetrating (or be extending through) the cap plate.

11 12 17 17 In some embodiments, outer circumferential surfaces of upper pillars of the first terminaland the second terminalprotruding outwardly from the cap platemay be threaded and fixed to the cap platewith nuts.

11 12 17 17 However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the first terminaland the second terminaleach may have a rivet structure to be riveted to the cap plateor may be welded to the cap plate.

17 15 17 14 13 In some embodiments, the cap platemay include a thin plate to be joined to the opening in the case, and the cap platemay have an electrolyte injection port, in which a sealing plug may be installed, and a vent portionhaving a notch.

11 12 240 250 211 212 a a. The first terminaland the second terminalmay be electrically connected to a current collector including a first current collectorand a second current collector(hereinafter referred to as a positive electrode current collector and a negative electrode current collector, respectively) welded to a positive electrode non-coated portionor a negative electrode non-coated portion

11 12 240 250 11 12 240 250 In some embodiments, the first terminaland the second terminalmay be joined to the positive electrode current collectorand the negative electrode current collectorby welding. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the first terminaland the second terminaland the positive electrode current collectorand the negative current collectormay be made by bonding integrally (e.g., may be integrally formed).

210 17 260 270 260 270 210 17 In some embodiments, an insulation member may be installed between the electrode assemblyand the cap plate. In such an embodiment, the insulation member may include a first lower insulation memberand a second lower insulation member, and each of the first lower insulation memberand the second lower insulation membermay be installed between the electrode assemblyand the cap plate.

210 11 12 280 290 280 290 210 260 270 11 12 In some embodiments, an end of a separation member, which may be installed facing a side surface of the electrode assembly, may be installed between the insulation member and the first terminaland the second terminal, and the separation member may include a first separation memberand a second separation member. Therefore, an end of the first separation memberand an end of the second separation member, each of which may be installed facing a side surface of the electrode assembly, may be installed between the first lower insulation memberand the second lower insulation memberand the first terminaland the second terminal.

11 12 240 250 260 270 280 290 The first terminaland the second terminalwelded to the positive electrode current collectorand the negative electrode current collectormay be coupled to the first lower insulation memberand the second lower insulation memberand the end of the first separation memberand the end of the second separation member, respectively.

1 10 10 In an embodiment, the devicefor measuring pressure of a battery cell may further include an explosion induction device for inducing an explosion of the battery cell. In some embodiments, the explosion induction device may be intended to cause thermal runaway by raising the temperature of the battery cellby direct or indirect heating.

10 10 10 10 The explosion induction device may apply heat to the battery cellto simulate a thermal runaway situation and to cause the battery cellto reach an explosion (or ignition) temperature, thereby inducing gas release. The heat to be applied to the battery cellto reach the explosion temperature may be determined by considering the type, condition, capacity, or the like of the battery cell.

1 10 The devicefor measuring pressure of a battery cell may induce a thermal explosion of the battery cellthrough the explosion induction device and may provide a battery module and pack having improved volumetric efficiency and enhanced stability through measurement of the released gas and evaluation of the characteristics of a thermal runaway phenomenon.

300 10 300 10 300 300 The lower substratemay be used for mounting and fixing the battery cellduring a pressure measurement process. The lower substratemay be designed to withstand shock, vibration, pressure, or the like occurring when the battery cellexplodes. The lower substratemay include a material having high durability and rigidity, such as stainless steel, but is not limited thereto. A position of the lower substratemay determine a position of a lower plate during subsequent manufacturing of a battery module.

310 300 310 300 10 10 300 10 310 300 A second load cellmay be positioned on the lower substrate. The second load cellmay be positioned between the upper surface of the lower substrateand the lower surface of the battery cellto measure, in real time, the weight of the battery cellor the load applied to the lower substrate, both of which change during the explosion and gas release of the battery cell. The second load cellmay obtain (e.g., may measure and/or determine) the pressure applied to the lower substrateand may obtain a load change amount, a load change rate over time, pressure, flow velocity, or the like.

1 300 310 The devicefor measuring pressure of a battery cell may measure the force applied to the lower substratedue to thermal runaway through the second load cell, thereby manufacturing a battery module and pack with optimized capacity density and stability.

200 300 200 300 100 200 10 The upper substratemay be positioned on (e.g., above) the lower substrate. The upper substratemay be connected to the lower substratethrough the connection shaftand may form a space between (e.g., may be spaced apart from) the upper substrateand the battery cell.

220 200 220 200 200 10 220 200 10 200 200 A first load cellmay be positioned on the upper substrate. The first load cellmay measure the force applied to the upper substrateand may measure the load applied to the upper substratein real time during the explosion and gas release of the battery cell. The first load cellmay obtain a load change amount, a load change rate over time, pressure, flow velocity, or the like and may determine the height of the upper substrateto ensure an upper space, which is a space between the battery celland the upper substrate. The height of the upper substratemay determine the height of an upper plate during the subsequent manufacturing of a battery module, thereby manufacturing a battery module or pack with improved capacity per unit volume and stability.

100 200 300 200 100 200 10 The connection shaftmay be vertically coupled to the upper substrateand the lower substrateand may support the upper substrate. The connection shaftmay be connected and fixed to prevent the upper substrateand a lower base from shaking or detaching even when the battery cellexplodes.

100 200 300 200 10 100 The length of the connection shaftmay determine the positions and heights of the upper substrateand the lower substrateand a distance between the upper substrateand the battery cell. The length of the connection shaftmay determine the distance between an upper plate and a lower plate during the subsequent manufacturing of a battery module, thereby manufacturing a battery module and pack having improved volume efficiency and stability.

4 5 FIGS.and illustrate a device for measuring pressure of a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

4 5 FIGS.and 10 1 13 10 13 10 13 10 10 Referring to, the battery cellarranged in the devicefor measuring pressure of a battery cell may include a vent portionpositioned on (e.g., formed in or on) the upper surface of the battery cell. The vent portionmay be an area through which gas and heat, which are generated inside the battery celldue to repeated charging and discharging, are released to the outside. The vent portionmay reduce heat transfer and fire risk of the battery cellby forming a flow path for gas release and heat exposure and may improve the stability of the battery cell.

220 13 10 10 13 13 220 13 220 13 The first load cellmay be positioned on the same vertical line as (e.g., may be vertically aligned with) the vent portionof the battery cell. When the battery cellexplodes, the vent portionmay be fractured or opened (e.g., may burst) due to the high-temperature and high-pressure gas, and the released gas and emitted flame may diffuse in all directions from the center of the vent portion. The first load cellmay measure the load of gas released from the vent portion. The first load cellmay be positioned on the same vertical line as (e.g., may be vertically aligned with) the center of the vent portion, where pressure and impact are concentrated, to measure the maximum load of the released gas.

1 220 The devicefor measuring pressure of a battery cell may measure the force caused by gas released during thermal runaway through the first load cell, and by taking this into consideration, a battery module and pack having optimized capacity density and stability may be manufactured.

220 200 200 13 10 220 220 200 220 200 220 The first load cellmay be positioned on the upper surface of the upper substrate. The upper substratemay be positioned between the vent portionof the battery celland the first load cellto prevent direct contact and interaction between the first load celland the released gas. Accordingly, the upper substratemay prevent the first load cellfrom being deformed, damaged, or broken due to excessive pressure or high-temperature. The upper substratemay protect the first load cellfrom flame and may include an insulation material for blocking or reducing conduction or diffusion of heat.

220 200 10 220 200 200 200 The first load cellmay measure, in real time, the load applied to the upper substrateduring the explosion and gas release of the battery cell. The first load cellmay obtain a load change amount, a load change rate over time, pressure, flow velocity, or the like and may determine the height of the upper substratefor delaying or preventing diffusion of gas and byproducts released during thermal runaway and heat transfer. The height of the upper substratemay be the height of an upper plate during subsequent manufacturing of a battery module. In the case of a battery module or a pack, which is designed based on the determined height of the upper substrateor the upper plate, a chain reaction of fire may be prevented and capacity density per unit volume is increased, thereby improving stability and volume efficiency.

200 10 200 13 200 200 An area of the upper substratemay be deformed or burned due to high-temperature heat and gas released from the battery cell. A damaged area A at where the upper substrateis deformed or burned may be, for example, an area extending in all directions from the center of the vent portion. The upper substrate, which is damaged, may be provided to be replaceable, and the height of the upper substratefor an optimized upper space may be obtained by repeating the thermal runaway simulation.

220 200 220 200 10 200 220 The first load cellmay have a larger area than the damaged area A of the upper substrate. The first load cellmay measure the mechanical load, based on the area and location, which is applied to the upper substratedue to sudden gas release and flame emission from the battery celland may obtain the pressure through the area of the damaged area A. The height of the upper substratemay be determined to be (e.g., may be measured and/or adjusted to be) an optimized height by taking into consideration the force or pressure measured by the first load cellto reduce the risk of the spread of heat transfer and thermal runaway in a manufactured battery module or pack.

6 FIG. is an illustration describing an operation of a connection shaft of a device for measuring pressure of a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

6 FIG. 100 1 200 300 100 10 100 Referring to, the connection shaftof the devicemay connect the upper substrateto the lower substrateand may support both substrates. The connection shaftmay be designed to withstand shock, vibration, pressure, or the like occurring when the battery cellexplodes. The connection shaftmay include a material having high durability and rigidity, such as stainless steel, but is not limited thereto.

100 100 200 300 200 300 100 200 300 The connection shaftmay be adjustable in length along a vertical direction. The connection shaftmay be vertically coupled to the upper substrateand the lower substrate, and the positions and heights of the upper substrateand the lower substratemay be controlled by adjusting the length of the connection shaft. The positions of the upper substrateand the lower substratemay determine the positions of an upper plate and a lower plate during subsequent manufacturing of a battery module.

200 300 10 10 200 300 If a separation distance between the upper substrateand the lower substrateis less than a reference (or target) distance, unnecessary pressure may be applied to the battery cell, and heat may not be released smoothly or air may not flow smoothly, thereby shortening the lifespan of the battery cell. Conversely, if the separation distance between the upper substrateand the lower substrateexceeds a reference (or target) distance, the size and volume of the battery module may increase, reducing the energy density and potentially causing defects in the electrical connection or cooling system.

100 200 300 10 For example, the connection shaftmay determine the positions of the upper substrateand the lower substrateand may provide improved performance, stability, and lifespan of the battery cell.

100 200 10 100 200 10 The connection shaftmay control the distance between the upper substrateand the battery cellby adjusting the length of the connection shaftalong the vertical direction. A separation distance d between the upper substrateand the battery cellmay determine a separation distance between an upper plate and a battery cell in a battery module or pack.

200 10 In some embodiments, the separation distance d between the upper substrateand the battery cellmay be in a range of about 5 mm to about 20 mm.

200 10 10 10 10 If the separation distance d between the upper substrateand the battery cellis less than about 5 mm, high-temperature heat and gas may spread to the surrounding components, and damage to the battery cellas well as to adjacent components may occur or a chain reaction of fire may occur. In some embodiments, when an upper space is insufficient, it may be difficult to secure a space necessary for expansion of the battery cell, and excessive pressure may be applied, resulting in physical deformation or damage to the battery cell.

200 10 10 10 If the separation distance d between the upper substrateand the battery cellexceeds about 20 mm, a manufactured battery module or pack may have an increased volume per unit capacity. In some embodiments, it may be difficult to maintain alignment of the battery cellor to protect the battery cellfrom shock or vibration.

100 The connection shaft, according to an embodiment, is provided such that it allows for length adjustment, thereby delaying or preventing temperature rise and an occurrence of an additional event and increasing energy capacity density. Accordingly, stability may be improved and space efficiency may be improved during manufacturing of a battery module or pack.

7 FIG. is a block diagram of a device for measuring pressure of a battery cell according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

7 FIG. 1 500 220 310 Referring to, the devicefor measuring pressure of a battery cell may further include a controllerwhich calculates the height of an upper substrate from the force measured by the first load celland the second load cell.

500 220 310 500 The controllermay calculate the height of the upper substrate based on information measured by the first load celland the second load cell, such as force, a load change amount, a load change rate over time, pressure, flow velocity, or the like. The height of the upper substrate calculated by the controllermay be a height that may provide an optimized upper space considering capacity density and stability.

In some embodiments, the height of the upper substrate may be a height which may delay or prevent a thermal runaway phenomenon, which is a chain reaction explosion caused by heat transfer, while ensuring maximum capacity per unit volume of a battery module or pack.

500 500 The controllermay adjust the length of the connection shaft based on the calculated height of the upper substrate. The controllermay extend or shorten the connection shaft whose length may be adjusted along the vertical direction and may control the separation distance between the upper substrate and the lower substrate or the separation distance between the upper substrate and the battery cell.

500 In one embodiment, the controllermay calculate the height of the upper substrate according to Equation 1.

Equation 1 is the Navier-Stokes Equation, which is an equation for describing the flow of viscous fluid. In Equation 1, u is the velocity of the fluid, ρ is the density, p is the pressure, v is the kinematic viscosity, which is the dynamic viscosity divided by the density, and g is the acceleration of gravity.

220 310 500 220 310 The first load celland the second load cellmay measure the load applied to the upper substrate and the lower substrate in real time during the explosion and gas release from the battery cell. The controllermay model the motion of the fluid by using the force information measured by the first load celland the second load celland the Navier-Stokes Equation, thereby predicting the instantaneous flow of the fluid in a thermal runaway situation.

500 220 310 220 500 In some embodiments, the controllermay obtain a flow rate from the load change amount of the battery cell based on gas release, which is measured by the first load celland the second load cell. In some embodiments, the first load cellmay measure the decreasing weight of the battery cell, and the controllermay calculate the volume of the released gas from the weight loss, by using the density and molecular weight of the gas and obtain the flow rate.

500 220 310 310 500 In some embodiments, the controllermay obtain pressure change from the load applied to the upper substrate and the lower substrate, as measured by the first load celland the second load cell. In some embodiments, the second load cellmay measure the load applied to the upper substrate due to the released gas, and the controllermay obtain the pressure by considering the area of the upper substrate including the damaged area.

500 220 310 In some embodiments, the controllermay obtain the density change and density distribution based on the expansion of gas rapidly released in a high-temperature and high-pressure environment, and the diffusion direction and speed of the fluid through the information of the force measured by the first load celland the second load cell.

500 The controllermay define the relationship between the velocity, density, pressure, and viscosity of the fluid by using the Navier-Stokes Equation, thereby predicting the flow of the fluid.

500 500 In some embodiments, the controllermay predict the flow of the fluid by considering the concentration area, time to reach maximum flow velocity, diffusion distance of the fluid, and specifically predict the rapid rise and diffusion of low-density, high-temperature gas, the flow direction of gas due to pressure difference, or the like. In some embodiments, the controllermay model the movement of the fluid by considering changes in the gas release rate and amount over time, the type and chemical properties of the released gas, the type and capacity of the battery cell, or the like, thereby predicting the instantaneous flow of the fluid.

500 400 500 The controllermay control an operation of a jigby utilizing the predicted flow of the fluid to perform thermal runaway simulation. In some embodiments, the controllermay adjust the length of the connection shaft by calculating the height of the upper substrate for the optimization design considering volume efficiency and stability.

1 500 500 The devicefor measuring pressure of a battery cell of an embodiment may analyze and predict the flow of the gas released during a thermal event through the controller. The controllermay calculate the height of the upper substrate to prevent fire and fire spread in the battery cell and provide a structure capable of preventing or minimizing thermal runaway to improve the energy density and stability of a battery module or pack.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the height of an upper plate for an upper space that is optimized for capacity density and stability may be controlled (e.g., may be determined), and a battery module and pack manufactured by using the determined height may have improved volume efficiency and delayed or prevented heat transfer, thereby improving the volume efficiency and stability of the battery module or pack.

However, aspects and features of the present disclosure are not limited to the those described above, and other aspects and features not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the present disclosure.

Although the present disclosure has been described above with respect to example embodiments and drawings, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. A person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical idea, aspects, and features of the present disclosure and the equivalent scope of the claims to be described below.